Pray for Charlie Sheen

The public is intoxicated with his intoxication and, to be honest, I have been too. From the television interviews to the online rants to the SNL sketches I have to confess that I have been enamored with his insanity. I have slowed down for the car wreck to take pictures with my cell phone.

Shame on me.

This morning it hit me like a pallet of “Duh, Winner” t-shirts that I should be praying for him, not making fun of him.

Sure, what’s happened to Charlie is extreme but, in a very real way, he’s living the ultimate Hollywood dream. Porn stars, alcohol, mounds of Cocaine and two and a half piles of money are all the result of his pushing farther down the road than the average non tiger-blooded actor/actress would dare to go. He’s living the dream to the extreme.

In many ways the Old Testament King, Solomon, was the original Charlie Sheen. In Ecclesiastes 2:8-11, Solomon wrote, “I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well-the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

Solomon’s wine, women, song, building projects, politic rule and “I can’t get no satisfaction” mega-quests were fueled by his unimaginable riches (way more than Mr. Sheen could ever dream of!) The difference is that Solomon was testing the limits of his wisdom to find out what was worth living for and Charlie is testing the limits of his body to see what he can live through.

At the end of Solomon’s wild ride he came to this conclusion, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13,14

Who will join me in praying that God will save Charlie Sheen from certain destruction? Who will pray with me that Charlie hears the gospel and realizes what true life, real life is all about? Who will join me is asking God to rescue him from the clutches of sin and Satan, not through tiger blood, but the blood of the Lamb?

Let’s stop mocking and start praying. If God can save a sinner like me and a sinner like you then God can save a sinner like him.

Greg Stier is the Founder and President of Dare 2 Share Ministries International. He has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of Christian teenagers through Dare 2 Share events, motivating and mobilizing them to reach their generation for Christ. He is the author of eleven books and numerous resources, including Dare 2 Share: A Field Guide for Sharing Your Faith. For more information on Dare 2 Share and their upcoming conference tour and training resources, please visit www.dare2share.org.